suggestions for an opulent, extravagant, delicious pudding, that won't blow my diet out of the water....

[Heathcliffscathy]

Trying to put together an anniversary menu for tomorrow night.

I have good reasons for not wanting to go all out blow out (am on WW, and put it this way, this won't be the last extravagant meal out this week) so am looking for a fabulous menu that will not kill me for points for the week.

starters i'm going to do oysters or scallops

main i'm going to do venison fillet or partridge (greens of some kind and celeriac mash)

pudding.....errrr. drawing a blank tbh.

does a gorgeous way to end a meal exist that isn't full of butter/sugar or cream? will not use sweeteners btw (can taste them at a hundred paces).

it's going to be out of season fruit isn't it? arse.

[moondog]

Meringue is pretty low cal.
Some cream and exotic fruit (think passion fruit) will make it a delicious pavlova.

[moondog]

Sounds great by the way.
Whaddya drinking?

[hatwoman]

poached pears
mandarin oranges in caramel (bit 70s and a bit sugary but you can avoid the caramel to an extent, it's also lovely)
and if it wasn't December I'd say summer pudding (although you could possibly do it with frozen berries)

[marymillington]

make something unctious

just have a very small bit

or pears baked in red wine?

[SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve]

Mango sorbet with dark chocolate sauce? I made it for us at the weekend, it was delicious and very low-fat.

[cadeauxbury]

oranges with spices (incl cinamon and caramom I think) and orange flower water. Will look up the recipe if you are interested.

[mrsratty]

Quark with honey is lovely and low fat.

[motherinfurrierfestivefrock]

whizz up frozen raspberries with some framboise, as recommended by Nige Slater?

[motherinfurrierfestivefrock]

Or ooooh yes, there's his recipe for 'Utter Bliss': raspberries, again (defrost from frozen, fine) wiht a bit of sugar and personally I'd put a bit of liqueur in here too, in the hollowed out bit of a melon half, pour on fizzy wine, slurp.

[Heathcliffscathy]

moondog, he's doing the booze

we have poached pears in red wine a lot.

mango sorbet and choc sauce sounds amazing....can i do such a thing in an afternoon without an icecream maker (methinks the answer is no).

ok....meringue....but it sort of doesn't feel sexy enough....unctuous is a good word.

it's our fifth wedding anniversary.....we've come through some dark days since ds was born and we are back on track and very loved up at the moment so it's got to be special

i just roast partridge right. sauce?

[DimpledThighs]

different fruits and a dark choc fondue? Quite sexy and you can just have a little choc and mainly fruit.

or you could get a small box of v expensive high cocoa content choc and have them with strong coffee.

Eton mess (crushed meringue, raspberries and cream) made with half fat creme fraiche. That is quite sensual too.

[popsycal]

talking of meringue..
the nigella one with passion fruit or hers again with chocolate and raspberries

both amazing

[popsycal]

nigella choc and raspberry one

you just change a few bits for the passion fruit one....which i actually prefer

[popsycal]

this looks lke the passion fruit one

[USAUKMum]

I have a chocolate souffle torte -- which is lucsious, easy to make AND low-fat. (from a book entitled Chocolate and the art of low-fat baking.)

[Heathcliffscathy]

I want it USAUKmum!!!!

link me link me

popsy thanks....how is it going btw?

[wickedwinterwitch]

What about Nigella's slut red raspeberries in Chardonnay?

[wickedwinterwitch]

Slut red raspberries in chardonnay jelly

You might think that no recipe could live up to this title. It's a reasonable presumption, but thank God, a wrong one. This is heaven on the plate: the wine-soused raspberries take on a stained glass, lucent red, their very raspberriness enhanced; the soft, translucently pale coral just-set jelly in which they sit has a heady, floral fragrance that could make a grateful eater weep. If there's one pudding you make from this book, please, please make it this.

This recipe was emailed to me from Australia from my erstwhile editor, Eugenie Boyd. I've fiddled with it a bit, but it is the best present a foodwriter could ever have. Now it's yours.


1 bottle good fruity Chardonnay
300g raspberries
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
5 gelatine leaves
250g caster sugar
double cream to serve

Place the wine and berries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the raspberries to one side. Heat the wine with the vanilla pod until nearly boiling and leave to steep on one side for 15 minutes.
Soak the gelatine leaves - which you can find in the supermarket these days in cold water for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, after removing the vanilla pod, reheat the wine and stir in the sugar until it dissolves; allow to boil if you want to lose the alcohol.

Add a third of the hot wine to the wrung-out gelatine leaves in a measuring jug and stir to dissolve, then add this mixture back into the rest of the wine and stir well. Strain into a large jug. Place the raspberries, equally, into six flattish, clear glass serving bowls, and pour the strained wine over the top. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours, though a day would be fine if you want to make this well ahead, and take out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Serve some double cream in a jug, and let people pour this into the fragrant, tender, fruit-jewelled jelly as they eat. Serves 6.

[wickedwinterwitch]

I haven't made it Soph but it looks v sexy! Perfect for a anniversary dinner!

[Heathcliffscathy]

oh www. i am so happy that you are back.

[wickedwinterwitch]

thanks Soph. I tried to make it with veggie gelatine (couldn't get normal stuff where we lived at the time), so I think it was agar agar or something. Anyway, it didn't set but was lovely to drink anyway!

I'm sure it's obvious, but the words are Nigella's not mine!

[Heathcliffscathy]

one day i shall meet you.

oh yes.

I shall

[done in a waynes world way]

[USAUKMum]

Sophable -- think I have translated all Americanisms but let me know if you don't know what something is . And good eating

Fallen Chocolate Souffle Torte

1 ounce blanched almonds
3 tbsl flour
100g 70% chocolate chopped.
60g good quality cocoa
225g caster sugar
125 ml boiling water
2 egg yolks
1 tbls brandy or rum
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 190C. place round of parchment paper in bottom of a 8in springform pan spray the sides with veg. oil
In food processor or blender grind the almond with the flour until fine.
Combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa and 3/4 of the sugar in a large bowl. pour in the boiling water and whisk until mixture is smoothe and chocolate is completely melted. whisk in egg yolks and brandy/rum. set aside
comine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medicum bowl. beat on med spreed until soft peaks form. gradually sprinkle in the remaining sugar and beat on high speed until stiff buy not dry. whisk the flour and almonds into the chocolate. fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the cocolate mixutre to lighten. fold in the remaining egg whites. sscrape the batter into the pan.
bake fo 30 -35 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on a rack. Torte will sink.
release cake from sides, invert cake onto a plate, remove pan & paper. Turn right side up.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

[Heathcliffscathy]

OH MY GOD.

I made CD's mums chocolate mousse (dark choc, brandy [she uses coffee], one egg....raspberries in the bottom of the ramekin]

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!